"Another day, another hope, isn't that right, my dear princess?" – uttered Rothbart, watching the sunrise.

The sun, rising slowly, as if mocking him and giving him hope, emerged from behind the mountain until it was fully in the sky. In an instant, the beautiful princess Odette was illuminated by a bright light that enveloped her entire body, transforming her into a beautiful solitary swan, swimming on a lonely lake in the forest.

The man snorted, crossing his arms: "See you tomorrow, sweetheart Odette."

Then, stomping loudly on the ground, the man disappeared into the depths of the forest. Odette sighed, turning her head to examine herself.

Was her appearance now perfect as a beautiful bird, or, on the contrary, tragic, given that this was an imposed form, a creation inflicted by Rothbart, who wished by all means to subjugate the girl?

Examining her new yet already familiar appearance, the blue-eyed blonde sighed, thinking about whether she had become an unwilling bird in a golden cage or a lonely bird on a cold lake. Odette closed her eyes.

A week passed, two, three, and she was still a captive girl in a bird's body, and she was still, still a girl fighting for her freedom, for her love.

And again the sun began to set behind the forest, and again the swan glowed with a bright light. With the first departing rays of the sun, she became a maiden, the beautiful princess Odette. Straightening her skirt, the girl stepped out of the lake.

She would begin the new night by exploring the forest, going as far as she could until dawn, until Rothbart returned by sunrise. And so the beautiful, lonely princess entered the forest, wandering through the area and looking around.

She hoped to find a way out or help in overcoming her swan curse, or perhaps just to take her mind off the lake where the lonely swan lived?

Whoosh.

The girl gasped as an arrow struck a piece of wood near her head. From behind the bushes emerged a blurry figure, whom Odette could not yet make out because of her hair, which had fallen over her eyes from the wind caused by the arrow. She brushed the hair from her face, tucking it behind the turquoise bell sleeve of her dress.

"Rothbart, or someone else?"